Minstrel of the Stars
by The Storyteller of Dreams
Summary: Rouge was the Guardian of Angel Falls. At least she was, before she lost her wings and halo. The stars seemed so far away and she'd fell so far. Can she return, only to find that everything had changed? My take on the game. Better than it sounds.
1. Guardian of Angel Falls, Rouge

Summary: Rouge was the Guardian of Angel Falls. At least she was, before she lost her wings and halo. The stars seemed so far away and she'd fell so far. Can she return, only to find that everything had changed?

AN: I really love this game and was itching to write this. I had to replay the whole game from the start to fully grasp and write some of the quotes I want or the scenes I forgot. I hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Quest Series

Warning: Some characters can be a bit (or much) OOC. So be warned and if a character seems OOC, please warn me about it.

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><p>"<em>Hello? Is anyone there?"<em>

"_If you're there, please say something. Show yourself."_

_Thus do the voices of mortals plead, ever hopeful of proof of our existence…_

_For how long have we watched over their realm…?_

_For how long have we Celestrian existed…?_

_I don't know the answer, but I do know that this is worth it. Falling from the skies, being turned mortal and Celestrian, living both worlds. I can say this for sure; mortals are like a contradiction. There are those who are pure of heart and those who are evil. I know that Celestrian and mortals aren't so different. There are those who had fallen from grace due to centuries of hatred and there are those who tirelessly roamed the world to find those who are gone. The stars seemed far but in truth they're always inside me. This is how I fell from the skies, climbed back to the heavens and return to live life as a half-Celestrian and half-mortal._

_This is my story, of Rouge, once Guardian of Angel Falls and now Guardian of the Mortal Realm._

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><p>Somewhere in a small village nestled around some mountains, the morning sun greeted the new day. A boy in blue ran out of his house, chasing a dog. A man wearing green starts cleaning his horse. Windows are opened and the sweet smell of home cooked meals came floating through. On one corner, a man started fishing while a woman went shopping. The morning rays hit the statue of the village Guardian at last, illuminating the figure of a Celestrian floating nearby. Even though it was early morning, everyone was up, eager for a new day.<p>

Thus begins our story…

**Minstrel of the Stars**

**By Hi Hikari No Kaze**

Chapter 1: Guardian of Angel Falls, Rouge

A Celestrian with fiery-red hair tied into a ponytail and gold eyes floated nearby the Guardian statue. She seemed to be around 16, but don't be fooled, Celestrians live long lives. Currently said female Celestrian was yawning loudly, sitting on top of the Guardian statue. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She flipped backwards and landed lightly on her feet, facing the statue. Making sure no one was looking, she kneeled down and wrote on the nameplate

_Guardian of Angel Falls, -___Aquila- _ __ Rouge_

Grinning cheekily, Rouge mentally congratulated herself on a job well done. That is, until she heard a slight cough behind her. Slowly she turned, smiling sheepishly, and look up to the stern face of Aquila. The bald Celestrian was her mentor for _years_ and was like a father figure to her. Her parents had died on the Protectorate, defending a town from a wave of monsters. The details are a bit sketchy for her, since she was young when they died. Aquila, being friends with her parents, took her under his wing. Even though he was more often than not stern with her, he treated her like family and that makes her feel warm.

"Now what are you up to, Rouge?" he asked with a frown, though the amused twinkle in his eyes betrayed his emotions. He was far too used to his apprentice eccentricities.

"Nothing, Master." she replied, a little too innocently. The redhead stepped aside, letting her Master see her work. With a sly grin, she said, "I'm just making my mark while I can."

Aquila examined the nameplate and shook his head. "You should stop such childish things once you're made to a proper Guardian."

"Aww, but that's no fun!" Rouge's voice was close to a whine, pouting. "I don't want to be an old prune like you."

"This 'old prune', as you called it, is your teacher, you do well to remember that." He said sternly, standing up to face her. "You're a Guardian now. These childish acts must stop soon."

Rouge pouted childishly, but didn't argue back. Celestrians don't talk back to their superiors. Taking her silence, Aquila turned to the village and said. "You're the Guardian of Angel Falls now. I had doubted Apus Major decision because you're so young and childish." Rouge grinned sheepishly here and Aquila turned to face her, letting out a fond yet exasperated sigh. "Yet I was proven wrong and I'm glad. The village thrived under your hand and you had learned enough to become a Guardian without my help."

The redhead beamed at the praise. Aquila rarely praises her. When he did praise her it means she deserved it, and that made her heart warmed with pride and a happy grin on her face. Aquila coughed lightly to his hand to regain her attention. "Look, it seems like someone is approaching the village. Do your duty as a Guardian and make sure they arrive safely."

Rouge looked at where he pointed. An old man and a teenage girl with dark-blue hair were slowly approaching the village. The girl was supporting the old man, berating him slightly for being melodramatic and helping him reached the village. Suddenly, a cruelcumber and two slimes jumped out of the bushes and hid behind a rock, preparing to ambush them.

_'Now that won't do.'_ Rouge thought as she flew towards the monsters, ignoring Aquila's shouts to slow down. She was one of the fastest fliers in the Observatory. It's one of the few things she was better at than her teacher and she took pride in it.

Once she reached an acceptable distance, she glided silently behind the monsters. A quick glance back shows that her mentor was observing her, watching what she was doing and ready to support her when needed be. She grinned slightly, more determined than ever to not screw up in front of him.

The fight started with her slashing a slime, drawing the monsters attention to her. They froze, surprised and Rouge took advantage of that slip-up to attack the same slime, killing it. The shock wore of shortly after she attacked. The cruelcumber thrust its spear at her as she attacked another slime. She managed to dodge the attack, but it left a thin, slightly deep wound on her arm. Luckily, Aquila got her back and slashed the cruelcumber, knocking it down in a single hit. _'Man, when can I do that?' _ She absentmindedly thought, defeating the last slime. She winced slightly as her wounded arm brought the finishing blow. _'I got to take of this wound…'_

Aquila saw her wound and went up to approach her. "You must be more careful." He lightly berated as he healed the wound with a quick spell. "I won't always be here."

"I know Master." Rouge nodded, testing her arm before looking around, spotting no monsters left.

"See, Grandpa! There's Angel Falls up ahead." the bluenette, Erinn if she heard correctly, exclaimed happily, pointing to the village ahead.

"Aah…I honestly believed I'd never set mind tired old eyes on the place again." The old man sighed happily. "But here we are again. Home."

"Oh don't be so melodramatic, Grandpa!" Erinn teased him. "The village Guardian will have been watching over us all the way. Nothing bad would have happened to us."

That caused a spark of pride in Rouge's heart. It feels good to have someone believe in her so much, though it did point out the responsibility a Guardian has that Aquila, with some success, manage to pound into her head. It never felt quite real until she experienced it herself.

She was drawn out of her reverie when Erinn clasped her hands together and prayed. "Benevolent Rouge, thank you for protecting us on our journey."

That made her blush slightly, she didn't do that much! Aquila noticed this and smirked. "Don't let this feed your ego, Rouge." He teased.

Just before she could make a smart comeback, a blue glow surrounded Erinn and a blue crystal floated up from her to Rouge's hands. The redhead looked at it in awe. She had seen many Guardians during her apprenticeship years carrying these crystals to offer it to Yggdrasil. To think she gained one in under a week!

"Behold, Rouge." Aquila said, a slight proud tone on his voice that made her grin. "Benevolessence."

She turned to face her, grinning widely and practically jumping on her feet. She tuned out his lecture about what a Benevolessence is and what a Celestrian must do with it. She heard the lecture a million times already. Her mind wonders to when they could fly back to the Observatory and show off the Benevolessence. The looks on their face will be priceless.

A sudden hit on her head brings her back to earth. Rouge grinned sheepishly at him while Aquila sighed, far too used to her antics and occasional daydreams. At least it wasn't as bad as her early apprenticeship years. "Come, Rouge." He said, looking at her. "Let us return to the Observatory, that you may make your offering."

Rouge grinned happily, already flapping her wings. Aquila shook his head at his overeager pupil and fly too. Together, they ascended beyond the clouds and flied through the sky until they reached the age-old relic of their home. Rouge smiled as she looked up, seeing the greens against the brown. This was their home, a place they would always return to. It felt good to be back.

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><p>"Do you remember what to do upon returning from the Protectorate?" the bald Celestrian questioned her once they're finally in.<p>

"Yup! Report to Apus Major in the Great Hall!" Rouge giddily exclaimed, wondering who should she show it off to. Perhaps Amy? Or Darek? Maybe Columba? Or perhaps, and here Rouge grinned, that old librarian Morgue? She imagined the look on her old face when she sees this. And here the old coot said that she'll never be able to live up to anything.

Of course Aquila had to spoil her daydreams. "No delaying it, Rouge." he told her sternly. "Go straight to Apus Major. I'm sure I can leave that to you. I have other business to attend to."

Rouge pouted. "Do you have to spoil everything, Master?"

"Of course I have to." he chuckled slightly at her expression. "Who else can stop you from going too far?"

"It's payback for the blackberry juice fiasco thing, isn't it?"

"Now, Rouge, we're angels, we do not do revenge." though that smirk on his face tell her otherwise.

"But it wasn't my fault!" Rouge said defensively. Aquila gives her a look and she sheepishly said. "Ok, I might be the one who gave the idea, but the twins carried them out!"

"Nonetheless, it was your idea in the beginning." the older Celestrian said. "Thus, later we shall have a little spar."

Rouge groaned at that, a _little _spar means a beat down for her. She never can beat the older Celestrian. "But you already punished me for that!"

"And how about the shirt incident?" Aquila asked, looking pointedly at his student. "If I recall correctly it was last week. Right on the day you first descended to the Protectorate."

"Emphasis on the _first time descending_, Master! I have no idea that that laundry line was there and the winds are really powerful then." Rouge protested. "Plus, I didn't know you already landed, I thought you were beside me or something, the clouds were rather dark and I also fix the laundry line back!"

Aquila shook his head, feeling a migraine coming on. "We'll discuss this after you report to Apus Major, clear?"

He didn't gain any response from his troublemaking and drawing apprentice. Looking up, he immediately cursed that action. Rouge was giving him those puppy-dog eyes.

"Alright." he said, giving in. "But only a few. Then go straight to Apus Major."

She grinned widely and suddenly threw herself at him, hugging him on the waist. "Thank you!" she said happily, letting go. "I'll be going now!"

He smiled slightly as he saw his troublesome apprentice ran, first going to the library to no doubt show off to Morgue. He chuckled slightly as he heard a crash, a stack of books falling no doubt due to his pupil, and Rouge rushing back out, a wide grin on her face and the old librarian swinging her ruler as if that was a sword hot on her heel. It was good to be back.

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><p>AN: Well, what do you think? I didn't go too over the top with Rouge did I? You know, I really think I got a problem with myself. I got several stories waiting to be written out and here I am making another fic. Please review so that I know for sure that somebody is reading this! Any kind of review (insult, criticism, flames, normal, etc) are welcomed!<p>

Thank you for reading and please look forward to the next chapter,

Hi Hikari No Kaze


	2. Gathering the Last Benevolessence

Summary: Rouge was the Guardian of Angel Falls. At least she was, before she lost her wings and halo. The stars seemed so far away and she'd fell so far. Can she return, only to find that everything had changed?

AN: Yay! Somebody reviewed! Thank you for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter. I tried to add a little flashback on Rouge's first day as Aquila's apprentice. This writing style was inspired by a Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfiction called 'The Mafia Wants You'. If anyone is familiar with that fandom, please try to read it, it's really good ^_^.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Quest Series

Warning: Unbetaed, some characters can be a bit (or much) OOC. I'm also going to change things to fit a bit more realism (as much realism as it can be from a game).

I'm not going to action straight away (though there will be some soon, it's inevitable), but I want to explore the Dragon Quest IX world and put a little spin to things. It won't be blatant, but it'll be there whether it's subtle or big, I just want to warn you first. Also note that there's some Star Wars reference. Let's just say that the Celestrians always keep their books in mint condition. Also, I apparently fail at the weird accent used in DQIX -_-.

Please enjoy!

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><p>Ah, I remember the time my Master formally introduced me as his apprentice, everyone had high hopes for me, to be next in line of inheriting the great legacy of my teacher and the one before him, Corvus.<p>

_I, of course, wanted to hold up their legacy. I wanted to make my Master proud, wanted to prove to others that I'm worth this. There are stories that those who have left us watch over us from the heavens. If that's true, I wanted to show my parents that I'm ok, I'm fine and I'm going to make them proud. _

_That day I was so nervous and tried to look calm as best as I can, it wouldn't do to look like a nervous wreck in front of so many people, but I tried too hard and failed amazingly…_

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><p>"<em>Rouge." Her Master called her, pulling her away from her tenuous study. "Do you have a moment?"<em>

"_I always have a moment for you Master!" She said easily, grinning brightly at him. "At least it'll drive away the boredom."_

_Aquila frowned. She sounds back to normal, as if news of her parents' death never came at all. It was worrying to say the least. "Are you alright?"_

"_Yes, I am." Rouge easily replied, flipping the page of her textbook. She looked up at him and asked. "What's is a greenworm plant?"_

"_A plant that grows in forests and the likes, usually used for herbs but poisonous in large doses." Aquila absently said before snapping his attention back at her. "Are you sure?"_

_Now Rouge looks annoyed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"_

_Aquila eyed her carefully. He had no prior subjections to children, hence why he never wanted an apprentice, he wouldn't know what to do. But Rouge's different. Her parents were like his own parents and in a weird way that made him the older brother of Rouge. She was his responsibility. Sighing, he kneeled down to her eye level, searching for any sign of distress, but found nothing in those gold eyes._

"_They are worried, Rouge." Aquila said to his new apprentice. "You act so normal, as if nothing had happened when in truth a lot has. Tell me, what's wrong."_

_Rouge looked away, hiding behind the tome of her book. For a split moment before the redhead turned away, he could see her mask crumbled away to reveal a sad and pained face. Aquila frowned at that, reaching for her shoulder. He shifted the child, lifting her chin to see her face. _

_Her eyes were filled with held-backed tears; she bit the bottom of her lip so hard it bleeds slightly. Aquila absentmindedly rubbed his thumb, rubbing away the blood. _'For how long has she been like this?' _Aquila wondered._

"_What's wrong, Rouge?" He asked, more gently this time._

"_I-It's nothing…"She hiccupped tearfully, trying to look away._

_Aquila frowned. "There's no need to lie to me, Rouge."_

"_I am fine!" She snapped at him, this time forcefully looking away. When her back was turned against him, she sniffled silently. "I am fine…I'm fine…I will be fine…it'll be ok…"_

_It was so sad to see a young bright child like Rouge trying to disillusion herself, Aquila could feel a pang in his heart. He shifted awkwardly towards her, unsure of what to do, since this was the first time in a long while that he did this, but reminded himself of his new duties. He awkwardly moved to hug her, sending silent assurance that he's here, this is what those nurseries keeper do when the young ones were sad, right? Rouge tensed a bit, but soon relaxed, sobbing quietly into his shirt as small arms wound around his neck._

_They remained like this for a while, until Rouge couldn't cry anymore. Puffy, red-brimmed gold eyes looked up at him and Aquila tightened his grip marginally. It wasn't right to see the usually cheerful redhead like this. It wasn't right to see the child, who used to joke about his hairstyle (or the lack of it) and made up the funniest, sometime annoying pranks, look so lost and broken. It wasn't right and Aquila promised to himself to get her back on track, if only because he owed her parents that much._

"_There's no need to lie to me or anyone, Rouge." He said softly, comforting her as best as he can while she broke down, rubbing her back soothingly, "Especially yourself. You're not fine now, but you will be, I promise it. Someday, it'll be alright again."_

"_H-How do you know for sure?" Rouge asked, wiping her tears with her sleeves, sniffling slightly. "T-They promised me to be back and bring a lot of mortal candies if I behaved good. And I did too! B-But, they…"_

_Aquila knew that, it was one of every Celestrian parent's tricks on making sure that their children behaved while they were away. The bald Celestrian sighed and draw Rouge closer in the hug, pushing away his awkwardness. He rubbed her hair soothingly, softly saying. "I know because I'm your Master now. You just have to trust me." _

"_Y-You won't leave?" The redhead sniffled. "Like Papa and Mama did?"_

_As Rouge looked up with her tear stricken face, Aquila couldn't help but agree._

"_I promised you, didn't I? And I always keep my promises. I won't leave you, I won't go away, and I'll be there whenever you need me."_

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><p>"<em>Rouge, you are now the Apprentice of the Guardian of Angel Falls, Aquila." Apus Major declared, his voice echoing loudly in the large hall of the Observatory. "Rise, Rouge, learn and become a great Guardians like your ancestors."<em>

_Claps thundered from behind her. It was a special moment, in honour of the daughter whose parents defended and sealed away an evil witch who tried to destroy a kingdom. That and this is the first time that Aquila has ever picked an apprentice. It was an all-around grand thing, with only the somber mood from Rouge's parents' death getting in the way. _

_The redhead nervously stood up. Being even an Apprentice Guardian was a big, honored thing. There's only far and few Guardians amongst the Celestrians, since it was a generally dangerous and handful job. To be a full-fledged Guardian you must be the apprentice under one first and learn pretty much _everything_. From medicines to spells, combat theories and skills, histories, geography, even sewing, practical spells and seemingly useless mortal trivia are important. Those who aren't a Guardian were assigned to do other jobs like cleaning, house keeping, nurseries, healers, librarians, historians, etc. Being a Guardian is the most honored and sacred job any Celestrian would dream of having. It's like being a Jedi from one of those very old books that survived in the Celestrian libraries that Rouge sometimes sneak in to read, it's a big thing to even be the apprentice of one._

_She felt Aquila's hand on her shoulder, comforting and familiar to her, it helps her swallow her nervousness as she descended the first flight of steps. She was so occupied in making sure she wasn't looking visibly nervous that she didn't notice the slight bulge of the carpet, threatening to trip her, and she did trip._

"_Waah!" Rouge yelped as she fell the last flight, all the way down to the floor and accidentally knocking of another Celestrian._

_As she rubbed her sore butt, she saw that a domino effect had been created. One by one the Celestrians yelped and cried out as they all fell and were knocked down to the floor. Those who don't want to be knocked down tried to fly and escape the domino effect. It only creates more chaos, as people tried to see past ruffled feathers, wings knocking each other down and fly. The cause of this pandemonium could only gape at the chaos unfolding before her eyes, wondering what had just happened._

_Meanwhile, on top of the stage, her new Master smacked himself on the forehead with a hand while the oldest Celestrian could only laugh and chuckle at the sight of so many grown Celestrians falling and flailing, just because Rouge had accidentally tripped._

"_Ho ho ho," Apus Major laughed, his laughter bellowing out like one of the mortals mythical Santa Claus. "It seems you're off on a great start, Aquila."_

_Said bald Celestrian could only grumbled slightly, watching the chaos his new apprentice unknowingly brought. "Yes, you're right."_

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><p>Minstrel of the Stars<p>

**By Hi Hikari No Kaze**

Chapter 2: Gathering the Last Benevolessence

With Aquila's permission, Rouge has showed off her Benevolessence to a fair number of people. She had met with Morgue, who just frowned and grunt before ignoring her. Of course that didn't last long after Rouge accidentally knocked a stack of priceless book down. The redhead swear, the old Celestrian eyes glinted like a malevolent hocus chimera (_it's Rouge personal theory that the librarian is descended from one, even if she can't prove it yet)_ before she started hitting her with a long ruler again. Grinning at the familiarity of it, Rouge ran out of the library.

Once she ran an appropriate distance, she propelled herself faster with her wings. Then, the redhead quickly moved to a corner. Morgue saw this and followed her there, intending to give an earful. What she saw was that no one was there. Above and on a nearby rooftop, looking over the confused librarian, Rouge hold her laughter as she silently moved away from there and flipped down with a small flourish to the ground, landing quietly. She quickly moved away from the scene and checked her mental list again. Next one was Darek, she met him in the hall. The male Celestrian asked her to give the Benevolessence to him upon seeing it. Rouge was about to decline, but spotting his teacher nearby she grinned mischievously _(he really should have known by then)_ and agreed. Almost immediately, Darek's teacher scolded him and dragged Darek off for a long lecture. Rouge's grateful for the excuse to report to Apus Major, otherwise she'll be stuck in a lecture for an hour or so.

Currently, the redhead was waiting for Aquila and Columba do that she could show her Benevolessence to the brunette Celestrian._ 'Come on…this is taking too long.'_

She was pulled out of her reverie when Columba mentioned her name. "I was surprised to hear of Rouge's promotion. I did not expect you to permit it so soon."

"You assume too much, Columba." Aquila replied. "I also believe it was too soon for her to take on a Guardianship. It was Apus Major's decision."

"Indeed?" Columba sounds…relieved? Which made Rouge frown, do they don't believe her that much? "How amusing! I might have known."

"It is no laughing matter. Rouge is but a fledging." The redhead couldn't help but sighed quietly at that. Even after all this time he's still protective of her. "What if something were to happen in the Protectorate? Do you forget the tragedy of Corvus so soon? Or of Rouge's parents?"

"Hmph. No, of course not, but…" her voice dropped to a whisper, Rouge has to strain her ears to hear her. "…we have been forbidden to talk of those matter here in the Observatory, have we not? Especially the former."

"…"

Aquila looked downcast. Rouge frowned, her curiosity prickling up. She has never known of the exact conditions of her parents' death, just that they died doing their job. She doesn't know about Corvus' fate either, just that he's no longer among the Celestrians but not yet dead either. In a way, she pities Aquila, at least she got some closure, not total but at least she has some.

It was then that Aquila noticed her eavesdropping. He turned around quickly, surprised. "Rouge! H-How long have you been standing there?"

Rouge smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Just a couple of seconds ago." She lied, easily seeing that Aquila didn't want her to hear the conversation. "I was just wondering…if you could accompany me to Apus Major. I mean, it's not as if I'm nervous or anything!" She quickly added, not wanting to sound _that _nervous.

Her excuse worked as Aquila chuckled, slightly relieved and bought her lie. " Rouge, you have become a Guardian now. You must face these kind of things now."

"Fine…"Rouge masked her sigh of relief as exasperation. She moves to turn away from the library, almost missing Aquila's next word to Columba.

"I worry for her, even with Apus Major backing. She's still such a child at heart. I fear that one day I will lose her just as I lost my old Master."

Somehow that didn't sit well with her.

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><p>After she reported over to Apus Major of her duty, she was sent to offer the Benevolessences to Yggdrasil herself. She could feel her grin widening until her face hurts as she climbed the stairs to see the World Tree for the first time. Children and apprentices were forbidden to see the Yggdrasil until they reached adulthood or became a Guardian and gain a Benevolessence. As she continued upwards, she could see the hints of green leaves and wide branches, creating a sort of majestic canopy. She picked her pace, eager to see Yggdrasil for the first time.<p>

Serene. Peaceful. Beautiful. Those words entered her mind as she gazes upon Yggdrasil, drinking in the sight. She stopped at the foot of the tree, awed. Looking up and around, she could see hints of blue sky over a canopy of green. A small breeze slightly ruffled her hair, making her feel calm and peaceful. She gazed up at the tree. Just how long has it been watching over Celestrians and humans alike? For how long have Celestrians gather Benevolessences to offer it to Yggdrasil?

The soft glow of the Benevolessence in her hands distracted her from her musings; it seems to be a habit she has got from Aquila. The wide grin on her face turn into a calm smile as she felt the serenity of the area. She lifted the crystal up, offering it to Yggdrasil. The crystal floated up from her palms, absorbed by the World Tree. She watches in amazement as the great tree glowed brightly and shines.

Soft familiar footsteps treaded behind her. As she continues to look up in awe, she heard Aquila speak. "Behold, Rouge…"there's a trace of awe for the great tree in his voice. "Is Yggdrasil, unto whom we offer Benevolessence we gather, not truly beautiful?"

She turned slightly to face him, grinning widely and nodding. The older Celestrian approached her, looking at his ex-student for a moment before staring up at the World Tree. "Gathering and offering up Benevolessence is the most sacred duty which we Guardians are charged."

She grinned brightly, nodding. "Of course, Master!"

He chuckled slightly. "Don't call me that anymore. I'm no longer your Master, just as you're no longer my student anymore."

"But you're still my teacher!" Rouge protested. "You're the one who taught me everything. I don't think I can stop calling you my teacher for a long while."

Aquila smiled at her, that rare proud smile, and reached out to muss her hair. "You are much older than when I first took you in, yet in more than one ways you are still such a child at heart." Then her drew her to a hug, making Rouge blink, it was rare for Aquila to show affection physically. "You are still naïve and innocent to the ways of the world and I worry about you."

Rouge blink again, it was rare for Aquila to actually state his worries to her. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around her teacher, grinning reassuringly at him. "You're always like a father and mentor for me, you're always there for me whether I like it or not." She patted his back reassuringly. "But please, trust me. I'm older and a Guardian now. I can take care of myself."

Aquila closes his eyes, pushing back his feelings of impending doom for a little while. Enjoying the familial moment as best as he could. Eventually, reality sets in and they released the hug. With a nod from Aquila and a quick, bright grin from Rouge, the redhead turns and heads back into the Observatory to report to Apus Major. Aquila stood back a little, enjoying the sweet serenity for a little while longer before finally heading in too.

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><p>After her report to Apus Major, Rouge hurried back to the Protectorate. It was a little bit sad that Aquila won't be coming with her but he promised to visit soon. Now, as she floated near the Guardian statue, a slight pang of nervousness hits her heart. This is the first time she's doing this without her Master. What if she screws up? Pushing such dark thoughts away, she glided down between two bickering boys.<p>

"It really is weird…"muttered a blond boy.

"What's weird?" His friend asked. "You mean the name thingy in the Guardian statue, Ivor?"

"Of course I mean that name thingy, Hugo, you dolt!" He snapped back. "I'm sure it said 'Aqui-' something before. But now it's 'Rouge'…"

"Really? Well its said 'Rouge' for as long as I can remember."

"And how long is that, exactly? Do you remember reading it before?"

"Er…I…That's funny…"Hugo stuttered. "'I, I can't say that I do."

"You see! Everyone around here's weird. It just changed, and everyone thinks it's been like that forever." Ivor pointed out, which makes Rouge wonders. What happened to make everyone forget of her Master?

"Ah-ha! It must be the work of the village Guardian, then!" Hugo exclaimed. Rouge grinned, that was true.

"Don't be such a wally! There's no such thing as Guardians." He snorted disbelievingly. "They're just made-up rubbish."

"It's only Erinn who believes in all that nonsense." Ivor continued, putting his hands on his hips. "She's such a dumb, er…bluenette."

Rouge left the duo to their own arguments. Why do mortal minds forget easily? It's one of the long list of questions that none of the Celestrians could answer, along with 'Where does Celestrians comes from?'. With the latter question, stoic, calm, Aquila turns bright red and started stuttering about 'reproduction' and 'puberty'. It led to a very awkward talk which turns Rouge's face as red as her hair and rephrase the question into 'Where does the first Celestrian came from?'.

Right now, she's helping the townsfolk left and right. There was that old woman in the church who lost her ring, a man who needed help in cleaning the stables and a little boy who wanted Ivor to be taught a 'lesson' _(she did that one gladly, serves the kid right for badmouthing the Guardians)_. Before she knew it, it was already dark out. In total she got two Benevolessence _(sadly, she didn't get any crystal from teaching Ivor a 'lesson')_ in one day, not bad, considering some Guardians have to wait weeks before gaining any Benevolessence. As she passed the bridge, she spotted Aquila.

"You are taking your role seriously." Aquila noted.

"Of course I am, Master!" She replied cheerily, though she couldn't resist her curiosity. "What are you doing out here, Master? I thought you're out to travel the world?"

"Oh? You feel that your old Master does not trust you to work alone?" Aquila said, raising an eyebrow. "It is my duty now to patrol the entire Protectorate, yes. Though you guard it well, I must sometime revisit my old territory."

"But I didn't expect it to be so soon."

"Well, I'm here to teach you one last lesson." Aquila explained. "As Guardians, it is our duty to tend to our mortal flock. But this means more than watching over the living. Sometimes we must help those who have past away, but whose souls continued to roam the land."

They remained silent for a moment as the sounds of someone wanderings can be heard. "You hear it too, do you not? The voice of a wandering soul here in the village in need of your assistance…"

Rouge solemnly nodded. She spotted the shimmering form of a man near the general store. A hand settled on her shoulder, making her look up at Aquila. The bald Celestrian lightly gripped her shoulder before letting his hand fall to his side. "Give him the rest he deserves, Rouge, Guardian of Angel Falls."

Floating silently towards the ghost, she could hear him grumble. "Hmph! Wot's wrong wiv people 'round 'ere nowadays? Why's everyone givin' me the cold shoulder?"

She couldn't help but giggled slightly at his accent, it's the first time she heard such a weird accent. This caused the ghost to jump in surprise and turned around, relief flooding his face when he saw her.

"Eh? Oh, someone who's prepared to gimme the time o'day at last!"

She stifled her giggle, remembering that she has a task to do. She asked, with some modicum of respect as taught by Aquila. "Something wrong, sir?"

"Yeah, listen 'ere. Can you tell me 'ow come everyone's ignorin' me?" That's when the ghost took in her appearance. "…'Ang on a minute…Wot's wiv the get-up, eh? Y-You ain't a…Oh my days, you are! Yer a Celestrian, ain't cha?"

Rouge solemnly nodded as realization hits the ghost. "So I've…I'm already…I've breaved me last, is it?"

There's panic, fear and denial in his eyes, but he continued nonetheless. "Go on, you can tell me. I can take it! That's wat's 'appened, innit?"

There's no need to beat around the bush. Rouge stated with calmness that she was surprised she has, given how, er…_energetic_, she is. "Yes, you're dead. I'm sorry that you died young."

She prepared for the rebuttal, but there was a wave of acceptance after the initial fear and denial. "Well…Cheers for bein' straight wiv me, Miss, er…Celestrian. So basically, I've kicked the bucket, right?"

Rouge nodded again and to her slight amazement, the ghost seems to be cheery suddenly. "Well, it's a good fing you told me. When I thought everyone was just ignorin' me, I was about to off meself anyway!"

He looked up to the sky, before looking at her again. "I'm not much of a believer. But you thin' that I could go to the 'Ealm of the Almighty?"

"I think you can." Rouge said, smiling softly. "You seem like a good man."

"The only was to tell is by goin' there meself, eh?" The ghost sighed, though not out of sadness. "Now I know wot's wot, I can just get on wiv it and…Well, you know. Rest in peace an' all that."

Rouge nodded, smiling. "Of course."

"So, er…" The ghost started, looking at her. " How do we do this?"

"Like this." The redhead Celestrian said, reaching over to touch the ghost's forehead. She started chanting, remembering the spell her Master had taught her before for this occasion.

"_Vaga animan, posuisti in pace revertamur ad Factorem.*"_

The ghost began to glow softly, before floating up into the air. Soon enough, the glow enveloped him entirely, before fading slowly, leaving a Benevolessence in his place. The crystal of mortal gratitude floated into her hands and she noticed that it glowed brighter than usual. As she wonders about it, Aquila floated up behind her.

"You have done well, Rouge." Aquila praised, making her grin brightly at him. "Thanks to your intervention, a mortal soul has made its peace and is now at rest."

"It's actually easier than they said." Rouge commented, remembering the seniors' scary stories. "All you have to do is find a way to make them feel as if they don't have anything left to do in this realm and say the spell so that they move on."

"Yes, stories are often exaggerated." Aquila said. He had been the victim of his seniors' stories too. "Though remember Rouge, some tasks are harder than they seem."

"Ok, Master." Rouge absentmindedly said, still wondering on the brighter sheen of the Benevolessence in her hands. Aquila sighed at her inattentiveness. Well, she'll learn it through experience. Rouge looked up at her Master. "Master, why does this crystal seem brighter than normal?"

"The Benevolessence of a departed soul shines more brilliantly than any." Aquila explained, before asking. "You will be returning to the Observatory with it post-haste no doubt?"

"Of course!" Rouge said cheerily. "Can't you see their faces when I come back with these? I got three in a day!"

"Don't gloat too much." Aquila warned.

"Yes, Master." She reluctantly agreed with a sigh. "But only because you're you."

"Good." He nodded. "Then I shall bid you farewell for now, I have much to do here in the Protector-Hm?"

A sudden movement from Aquila made Rouge move to see what had caught his attention. A bright gold train, almost like a comet at first glance, streaked past the night sky, leaving a trail of glittering gold. Rouge's eyes widen as she saw the Starflight Express being so near. Besides her, she heard her Master speak.

"The Starflight Express…" He mused. "Indeed, it's been unusually active of late…"

"I have changed my mind. I shall accompany you to the Observatory after all, Rouge." Aquila suddenly decided, making Rouge cheer and pump her fist to the air.

"That's great! Let's go now!"

Shaking his head in fond exasperation, both Celestrians blasted off to the air.

* * *

><p>Once they returned to the Observatory, Aquila turned to his ex-student and said, "I have important matters to discuss with Apus Major. Please, excuse me."<p>

Watching her teacher leave, she wondered what important things he had to discuss with Apus Major. She shrugged a moment later, there's no point in wondering what her Master got himself or about to get himself into _(one time she did and it led into an…. awkwardly embarrassing moment)_.

She headed towards the Yggdrasil with a bounce on her pace. The tree had been glowing brightly and the Starflight Express is visible in the night sky. Any day soon, they'll be returning to the Almighty. There a really high chance that she'll be the one who'll finish the job that others had started. It fills her with a sense of pride, anxiousness and happiness.

At long last the dream of every Celestrian is within grasp.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's the second chapter of Minstrel of the Stars! I'm sorry for the long break, I got lots of ideas and the sudden strong urge to just <em>read<em> and not write/type. I hope this pleases my readers. I added a flashback of Rouge and Aquila during their first days together. I hope that the first part of the flashback, Rouge doesn't seem, well, weird in her reactions (for lack of better words). The next chapter will be the Fall and Rouge turning halfway mortal. Look forward for it! ^_^

The spell Rouge used to exorcised the ghost is_(because how come that in the game, the protagonist loses his/her Celestrian powers yet still can exorcise ghost? So I thought, maybe it's because of a spell.)_=

Vaga animan, posuisti in pace revertamur ad Factorem (Latin): O wandering soul, may you rest in peace and return to the Maker.

Preview to the next chapter:

Chapter 3: In Which Angel Falls Took A Literal Meaning

_It was then that Aquila managed to look up at her predicament against the wind. Another large gust of harsh wind ripped her hand from the root. She was forcibly lifted up in the air, unable to control her flight. Aquila's hand tried to reach toward her._

_For a split second, their fingertips brushed against the other, so close yet so far. Wide-eyed gold eyes locked with her Master's eyes for a split second, not breaking eye contact for one seemingly long moment._

_But then a harsh gale ripped the teacher-student duo apart. Rouge could see the terror on her Master's face as she was flung away by the wind, off the side of the Observatory._

"_MAAAASTEEEER!"_

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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